Waiting to Fly
By Nicolette M. Dumke © 2003
When Merry asked me to write a "hope story" for this website, I wondered if I could
do it. I thought, "I don't have all the answers. No! I don't have any of the answers!"
Then I realized that this fact is the basis of real hope:
Hope is not a sentimental belief that things will get better.
It is coming to the end of your rope, to the end of your ability to cope with a problem,
and giving up and surrendering yourself and the problem to God, to El Shaddai - God
All Sufficient - and knowing that He is in control and can handle the problem - and
indeed your whole life.
For several years, my food allergies were so severe that I was literally allergic to all
foods. I had headaches, diarhea, dizziness, and joint pain, among other symptoms. To
stay alive, I ate the most exotic things and reacted even to them. God led me to
knowledge, people, and treatment that helped over several years time so that I now
have a nutritionally adequate diet, and He disciplined me to trust Him more in the
process.
You can learn quickly what I learned slowly about food allergies at my Food Allergy
website
where you can also read my complete story Three Generations of Food Allergies
and read about the book that came out of this experience, 5 Years Without Food: The
Food Allergy Survival Guide
While on a walk this week, I saw a sparrow that had perched on a barbed-wire
fence and gotten one of its talons caught in a twist of the wires. It was hanging upside
down by its foot. Every minute or so it would flap its wings furiously and try to fly away.
We are often like this bird when faced with a seemingly insurmountable problem. We
furiously and ineffectually flap our wings. Instead, we need to stop and cry out to our
Heavenly Father. He will hear us and respond. His response could be to miraculously
and instantly solve the problem - He can reach up and untangle us from the wires. Or
he might show us how to get perched topside on the wire so our talons are at the right
angle to pull out ourselves. However, it seems to me that most often He works on our
problems slowly. He says, "Wait and learn to trust Me."
When God says, "Wait," if we cooperate with Him, there is produced a "harvest of
righteousness and peace" in our lives. (Hebrews 12:11) We grow spiritually, mature,
and become more like Jesus. These changes in us have eternal value. Temporal
problems are just that - temporal and temporary, even if we live with them for the rest
of our lives. When things are dark and desperate, we learn to cling to what we know
about God - that He is in absolute control, and that He loves us and seeks only our
highest good.
When you are faced with problems that threaten to overwhelm you, remember and
cling to these verses:
back to Hope Stories
By Nicolette M. Dumke © 2003
When Merry asked me to write a "hope story" for this website, I wondered if I could
do it. I thought, "I don't have all the answers. No! I don't have any of the answers!"
Then I realized that this fact is the basis of real hope:
Hope is not a sentimental belief that things will get better.
It is coming to the end of your rope, to the end of your ability to cope with a problem,
and giving up and surrendering yourself and the problem to God, to El Shaddai - God
All Sufficient - and knowing that He is in control and can handle the problem - and
indeed your whole life.
For several years, my food allergies were so severe that I was literally allergic to all
foods. I had headaches, diarhea, dizziness, and joint pain, among other symptoms. To
stay alive, I ate the most exotic things and reacted even to them. God led me to
knowledge, people, and treatment that helped over several years time so that I now
have a nutritionally adequate diet, and He disciplined me to trust Him more in the
process.
You can learn quickly what I learned slowly about food allergies at my Food Allergy
website
where you can also read my complete story Three Generations of Food Allergies
and read about the book that came out of this experience, 5 Years Without Food: The
Food Allergy Survival Guide
While on a walk this week, I saw a sparrow that had perched on a barbed-wire
fence and gotten one of its talons caught in a twist of the wires. It was hanging upside
down by its foot. Every minute or so it would flap its wings furiously and try to fly away.
We are often like this bird when faced with a seemingly insurmountable problem. We
furiously and ineffectually flap our wings. Instead, we need to stop and cry out to our
Heavenly Father. He will hear us and respond. His response could be to miraculously
and instantly solve the problem - He can reach up and untangle us from the wires. Or
he might show us how to get perched topside on the wire so our talons are at the right
angle to pull out ourselves. However, it seems to me that most often He works on our
problems slowly. He says, "Wait and learn to trust Me."
When God says, "Wait," if we cooperate with Him, there is produced a "harvest of
righteousness and peace" in our lives. (Hebrews 12:11) We grow spiritually, mature,
and become more like Jesus. These changes in us have eternal value. Temporal
problems are just that - temporal and temporary, even if we live with them for the rest
of our lives. When things are dark and desperate, we learn to cling to what we know
about God - that He is in absolute control, and that He loves us and seeks only our
highest good.
When you are faced with problems that threaten to overwhelm you, remember and
cling to these verses:
back to Hope Stories
"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my
life: you stretch out your hands against the anger of my
foes, with your right hand you save me. The Lord will
fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures
forever." (Psalm 138:7-8)
life: you stretch out your hands against the anger of my
foes, with your right hand you save me. The Lord will
fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures
forever." (Psalm 138:7-8)
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned
you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the
rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk
through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will
not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the
Holy One of Israel, your Savior." (Isaiah 43: 1-3)
"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial,
because when he has stood the test, he will receive the
crown of life that God has promised to those who love
him." (James 1:12)
you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the
rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk
through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will
not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the
Holy One of Israel, your Savior." (Isaiah 43: 1-3)
"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial,
because when he has stood the test, he will receive the
crown of life that God has promised to those who love
him." (James 1:12)
© 2004 Dave and Merry Marinello, all rights reserved.
Welcome! Thanks for visiting our little "harbor" amid life's storms. We hope you
will find rest and encouragement in your struggles, big or small. Here you can:
will find rest and encouragement in your struggles, big or small. Here you can:
Waiting to Fly
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Hope is My Anchor
Strength for your soul amid life's storms
Strength for your soul amid life's storms